ARCHIVE

MORE

A memorial service honoring Earl and Ruth Pankratz will be 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Marion Christian Church.

Earl and Ruth, both Marion County natives, were married Oct. 26, 1940, in Kansas City, Missouri, and lived most of their lives in the county before retiring to Newton in the 1990s.

Earl, 96, a former sheriff and Marion police officer, died May 25, 2015. Ruth, 98, a former music and elementary school teacher, died July 26.

The couple’s children and their spouses are hosts for the service, and invite relatives and friends to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to a donor’s favorite Christian organization.